A Sad Goodbye...

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... my track season ended last week with our banquet last Tuesday. Since the team is so big, we hold it in the school cafeteria. One of the other coaches works in food services (and has his catering license) so he is in charge of the food every year. This year he did an asian theme with cupcakes and ice cream for dessert. We hand out letters to the varsity letter winners, certificates for the JV kids, and trophies to the top senior, junior, sophomore, and freshmen athletes. We also recognize our seniors. This year we got our seniors a purple hooded North Canyon track & field sweatshirts (the coaches each got one too).

My girls' distance runners really surprised me this year with the gift. I am used to their funny cards and their homemade items but this year they went all out. Besides the usual flowers and cards, they got me a silver jewelry box engraved with "Coach Y" and "NCHS 2011". Inside the box was a silver chain link bracelet with a charm that says "NCHS 2011" on one side and "Girls Distance" on the other. I was floored. Even the boys team got me an "NCHS Distance" sticker for my car. My co-coach (whom I've coached with for 6 seasons of track/cross country) got me a purple long-sleeve nike "North Canyon Cross Country" running shirt and nike cold-weather running beanie.

I cannot begin to express how much I will miss my running "family". I never knew the hours I would spend training with these people and how much fun we would have. I was talking to some of the parents I've known for a few years now and I was overwhelmed with their compliments. I never actually thought I taught anyone about running. Running was always a hobby for me and I thought I was learning about the sport right along with my kids these past few years. One of the parents told me that their daughter said, "We have to get Coach Y something REALLY nice this year. She is like a 2nd mother to us." It is probably the highest compliment I've ever received. LOVE THOSE GIRLS!!! These are just a few pictures of me with my senior girls from the banquet.